Prince William is reportedly preparing to implement significant changes within the British royal family when he becomes king. As part of this modernization effort, his brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan Markle might lose their royal titles.
Reports from November 2025 indicate that William intends to remove the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles from Harry and Meghan. This decision aligns with his strategy for a more streamlined monarchy, following a recent action by King Charles III.
On October 30, 2025, King Charles III took action by revoking the remaining titles of his brother Prince Andrew and removing him from his Royal Lodge residence. This followed public pressure over Andrew’s association with Jeffrey Epstein. The official date for Andrew’s title removal was November 3, 2025. Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would now be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, without the title of prince.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie described King Charles’s decision as “a very useful exercise in showing what’s possible regarding titles” and noted it as a “warning shot across Harry’s bow.”
Sources close to Prince William informed outlets like The Daily Beast that William intends to remove Harry and Meghan’s His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles once he is king. A friend of William described Harry and Meghan’s conduct as “absolutely vile” and mentioned: “The HRHs will go”.
The division between the brothers has reportedly become severe. Royal expert Andrew Lownie suggested it is “unlikely William will ever willingly be in the same room again as Harry, except perhaps at Charles’ deathbed and possibly funeral—although Lownie adds William may ban Harry from the funeral.”
The issue escalated in April 2025 when Meghan used her HRH title on compliments slips and a letter, despite a 2020 agreement with Queen Elizabeth II to refrain from using the honorific after stepping down as senior royals.
A friend of William commented, “Charles has completely lost control. It’s apparent that Harry and Meghan have every intention of making his final years a misery, just as he feared they would. Meghan using her HRH exposes how weak and enfeebled he is. She knows he won’t do anything. There is no way King William will stand for this. The titles will simply be removed when he is king.”
While the HRH title can be removed through Letters Patent—similar to an executive order—removing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles is more complicated, requiring an Act of Parliament.
Constitutional expert Norman Baker stated, “as the bestowing of an HRH is in the gift of the monarch, the monarch could remove the HRH title. It would basically be the equivalent to an executive order in the U.S.”
According to reports, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet might also lose their royal titles through formal letters patent once William is king. The children were given their prince and princess titles in 2023 following King Charles’s accession.
Additionally, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, daughters of the now titleless Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, could face title changes as William reportedly plans to limit titles to working royals only.
Reports suggest William may even “park” the titles of his own children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—until they are mature enough to decide if they want to be working royals.
TalkTV host Mark Dolan stated that William’s patience has worn thin, especially after Harry’s unexpected visit to Canada in November 2025, which coincided with William’s Earthshot commitments in Brazil. Dolan claimed William’s team was “left enraged” by what they perceived as Harry attempting to conduct a parallel royal tour.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich observed that while King Charles “is tolerant and lenient” and has “always hoped for some sort of reconciliation,” Prince William “has felt personally betrayed by the one person who shared his childhood experiences.”
With King Charles facing cancer at age 77, the timeline for William’s ascension and the implementation of these changes remains unclear. However, royal observers believe William is determined to reshape the monarchy, with title removal being a closely watched potential development.
